State of Umpiring [merged]

[Damo]

Umpire No.13 was biased towards Essendon and gave 5 free kicks in their F50.

He looks like a real metrosexual.  Probably dating Darcy Parish

 

[Owl]

The man hanging out the man about town

[one-eyed]

https://www.sen.com.au/news/2022/05/22/the-2022-free-kick-ladder-after-round-10/

 

[Andyy]

It's because we play a scragging style haha

[one-eyed]

KING PLEADS WITH UMPIRES AND AFL POWERBROKERS TO “HAVE SOME TOLERANCE”

Seb Mottram
SEN
23 May 2022

David King has called for more tolerance from the AFL umpires after another weekend of high free kick counts.

It follows calls from AFL greats Kane Cornes and Adam Cooney that free kicks are turning fans away from the game, with faith in the umpires seemingly falling to an all-time low.

King was strong on the fact that he does not blame the umpires, more so those above them, but believes the officiators need to have more tolerance to allow the game to “flow”.

“Confusion is the core of it. We’re assessing every contest within an inch of its life,” King began on SEN’s Whateley.

“The whistle doesn’t need to blow that regularly, that’s the core of the problem.

“If you can just withstand a little bit of tolerance the game flows, the game moves on, the game has lost flow because the bloody whistle keeps getting blown.

“It was a disaster yesterday (Sunday).

“Of the nine games I watched this week, there was more whistle-blowing this week than I’ve heard for a long time.

“But in 50/50 (calls), they’ve gone towards (the notion to) absolutely make a decision.

“Have some tolerance, let the game flow. The players will sort it out, I think we’ve just gone too far with being over officious.

“That’s something we can change.”

Crowds are down in 2022, a fact that can be put down to numerous causes including COVID and ticketing complications.

However, umpiring is another that has been blamed in recent weeks, and King agreed that it was a factor.

The North Melbourne champion recalled a situation involving Chad Warner in Sydney’s clash with Carlton on Friday night in stating how mistakes are getting compounded by the umpires and turning fans away.

“The fans are angry, and in the end, it’s their game. The media can say what they like… but our opinion has no more weight than the fan, and they are talking, they’re talking by not going to the footy,” he continued.

“It’s a factor (in smaller crowds).

“It’s not the mistake, it’s a secondary mistake. Chad Warner bounces the ball, runs eight metres and the umpire calls too far.

“Already there’s anger… so that’s one umpiring error that becomes a 50-metre penalty and a goal off the back of the umpire making one error, compounding into two errors and a goal.”

King continued: “That is not our game… I’m angry about it because I want our game back.

“I love footy, but this is annoying me.

“I’m not into umpire bashing, I’m not. They’ve got the toughest job in the caper.

“I don’t think they’re getting any favours from above is my point.

“If it’s on a knife’s edge, I think they’re blowing the whistle more than ever.

“I just want the game to be decided by the players, get some flow back in the game.”

https://www.sen.com.au/news/2022/05/23/king-pleads-with-umpires-and-afl-powerbrokers-to-have-some-tolerance/

[Knighter]

Hear hear Kingy

[Francois Jackson]

if everyone said enough is enough and boycotted a round then we will see them groveling back.

What did everyone expect to happen when scott replaced shocking?

[JP Tiger]

Gees, David King actually said something worthwhile!  Yep, the rampant whistle blowing is getting too much, nailed it there.  If the umpire thinks he sees an infringement they just need to wait for a second or two before going for the whistle - problem solved!  The team who may have been infringed upon can win possession & the game can go on if the umpires learn to wait, instead of frantically blowing the whistle & interfering in every contest.  Stop stopping the flow of the game & most people are going to be happy, or at least happier, with the umpiring!  It is that simple!   
Also, bin the video replays before we all lose it!  Let the umpire make a decision, rightly or wrongly, & get on with the game!  The Dusty ‘hit the post’ decision was just torturous!  The AFL owes football supporters 2 minutes of life that was stolen from them while they decided that they couldn’t make a decision!  The decision was already made when the goal umpire believed the ball had hit the post, the next two minutes was just ridiculous considering that the decision had already been made!       

[Knighter]

if everyone said enough is enough and boycotted a round then we will see them groveling back.

What did everyone expect to happen when scott replaced shocking?

I expected nothing to happen but it’s actually gotten worse. A lot worse

[one-eyed]

“GONE TOO FAR”: AFL GREAT MATTHEW RICHARDSON SLAMS CURRENT STATE OF RULE INTERPRETATIONS

By Laurence Rosen
SEN
26 May 2022

Richmond legend Matthew Richardson has voiced his displeasure at the current state of AFL rules.

Following a weekend where several games were in the spotlight for perceived excessive free kick counts, Melbourne coach Simon Goodwin launched a stringent defence of the game’s officials at his weekly press conference on Wednesday.

"I'm a bit disappointed this week that we get to a situation where everyone's now in a position where we're going to be quite negative towards the umpires," Goodwin said.

"We have to be quite careful as an industry that we don't go down that path and we continue to respect and want our young people to get into umpiring."

After hearing Goodwin’s comments, Richardson slammed the current station of the game’s rules, saying the stand rule and dissent interpretation had evolved into “something ridiculous”.

“I feel like most people aren’t negative about umpires,” he said on Sportsday.

“A lot of people are at pains to say this isn’t about the umpires, it’s about the rules they are being forced to interpret. It’s not the umpires - they’re doing the job they have to do. It’s a totally different situation that a lot of people are talking about.

“A lot of these rules aren’t working. There are too many 50m penalties and too many silly little rules, this dissent rule has gone too far and gone the way it wasn’t meant to go.

“I don’t like the stand rule, the protected rule is OK…these rules come in and then evolve. The dangerous tackle was brought in for a very good reason, but it has now evolved into something ridiculous.

“These rules evolve into something they’re not meant to be.”

Several experienced umpires are currently missing from the game due to injury and illness, thrusting more junior field umpires into the spotlight.

https://www.sen.com.au/news/2022/05/25/gone-too-far-afl-great-slams-current-state-of-afl-rule-interpretations/

[WilliamPowell]

The worst weekend across all games for umpires in a long time and the silence from Brad Scott was deafening

[Andyy]

Almost makes me want Gale to get the job.

Hope he could fix this bollocks.

[one-eyed]

AFL Football Department appoints General Manager Umpiring

The AFL is pleased to announce that Lisa Lawry has been appointed to the newly created position of General Manager Umpiring within the Football Operations Department.

The position of General Manager Umpiring elevates and creates a standalone umpiring function within the AFL football operations department, whose core focus is on the performance, growth and development of umpires across the AFL, AFLW, State and NAB League competitions.

https://www.afl.com.au/news/768093/afl-football-department-appoints-general-manager-umpiring

[camboon]

Richie is right, it not completely the umpires fault, it the clowns who made all these stupid rules up in the first place
Why complicate a game for no other reason than to manipulate an outcome. Its not the supporters game anymore , it’s run by social engineers who have made it a poorer spectacle .

Umpires could be forgiven if they were consistent and unbiased

[TigerLand]

60 free kicks. My word.

Umps got the last decision wrong, it's 50 every time we lick it after the whistle regardless of 80k in attendance. Be consistent. It wouldn't have changed result Dion is an average set shot for goal.

The non holding the ball vs McCartin who dived on ball and went to sleep with a minute left.